Chapter 12

The Empress Dowager took Liliana’s hand and held it. Liliana was deeply flustered.

Her hand was sweaty from nervousness, and she felt uncomfortable with the Empress Dowager sharing such personal stories so suddenly.

Having spent a long time in the palace, the Empress Dowager surely knew Liliana’s true feelings. Even so, she continued to pat the back of Liliana’s hand as she spoke.

“I mentioned before, didn’t I? That I, too, was married off to a foreign country.”

Liliana responded politely, bowing her head.

“Yes, I remember.”

The Empress Dowager gazed at Liliana with a melancholy smile. Liliana looked up to meet that smile.

Despite being older, the Empress Dowager’s beautiful face did not appear happy. Despite wearing such splendid ornaments, accompanied by countless maids, and holding a higher status than anyone else.

The Empress Dowager sighed deeply as she spoke.

“I always wanted to return to my homeland. Stricken with homesickness, I didn’t attend palace events and withered away daily. Seeing this, His Late Majesty told me, ‘Bear an heir, Empress.'”

“An heir…?”

“Yes. After all, what he needed wasn’t me but a pawn to link our two countries. He said, ‘If you bear an heir, I will send you back to your homeland.'”

Liliana’s brow furrowed involuntarily.

The Empress Dowager had a child. That child grew up healthy and became the current Emperor. Yet, the Empress Dowager remained in the Carlo Empire. The implication was clear.

The late Emperor did not keep his promise.

Noticing Liliana’s change in expression, the Empress Dowager nodded.

“You figured it out? When I gave birth to Helio, His Late Majesty said to wait until the baby was weaned. At that time, he might have been sincere. But Helio was not an ordinary child. Everyone in the palace realized it as soon as he was weaned. Helio had the potential to become a great man.”

“A great child would need his mother.”

“Indeed. His Late Majesty wanted Helio to assist the Crown Prince. And he wanted me to support Helio. So I couldn’t return to my homeland.”

The Empress Dowager looked into the distance, her lips pressed tightly together. Her inner sorrow was profound, her resentment deep. But she had to express all those emotions with very subtle actions.

“Being young doesn’t absolve all sins, but I was only fifteen back then. My husband was terrifying; the child was small. I didn’t look at the child when he cried, or when he laughed, or when he was sick. Ignoring the child was the greatest revenge against His Late Majesty.”

Fifteen. Far too young to bear a child. Even though early marriages and childbearing were common in this era, it was still too early. She must have been confused and scared.

Her choice wasn’t necessarily correct. But she couldn’t have been happy either.

“At some point, Helio stopped seeking me out. We treated each other as invisible. When he returned from the battlefield, all we did was greet each other outside the palace. Then, one day, he led a rebellion, took the throne, and said to me,

‘You must become the Empress Dowager, so you will never return to your homeland, Mother.’

Hearing that, I realized. Every action I took to seek revenge came back to me. And as much as I was angry, so was Helio.”

Liliana’s hand trembled slightly. The Empress Dowager, feeling this, continued speaking.

“Do you know why I told you this?”

Liliana, who had been silently listening, stood up and knelt on the ground. She bowed her head deeply.

She understood the Empress Dowager’s intention. While she didn’t know the specifics, it was clear that she deeply regretted her past.

But the Empress Dowager’s sharing such personal feelings wasn’t just for a simple heart-to-heart. She wanted Liliana to play a role in their relationship.

However, this was not something Liliana could do.

“I’m sorry, Your Majesty. This is beyond my capabilities.”

“Empress Consort Liliana.”

“I don’t believe all the blame lies with you, nor do I think the young Emperor was at fault. This matter is too difficult for someone as foolish as I am, so please withdraw your request.”

Liliana earnestly pleaded. Though she couldn’t see the Empress Dowager’s expression, she heard her sigh clearly.

“The King of Nieta also abandoned you, a heartless father. I understand your feelings. I have made an unreasonable request.”

“No, Your Majesty.”

“Do not kneel like that. I fear the Emperor will scold me for neglecting the Empress Consort.”

The Empress Dowager extended her hand within Liliana’s view. Hesitantly, Liliana took the hand and slowly stood up, but she wobbled briefly. Her body had not yet fully recovered, and kneeling had taken a toll.

The Empress Dowager held her firmly. Liliana met her blue eyes. She was still too young to be the Empress Dowager.

“I shall take my leave, Your Majesty.”

“Do so.”

Liliana bowed respectfully before leaving. As she returned to the Emerald Palace, her mind was in turmoil.

She had been as honest as possible with the Empress Dowager. The situation wasn’t solely the Empress Dowager’s fault. The late Emperor deserved the most significant punishment if anyone were to be blamed.

However, Helio, who had to endure the Empress Dowager’s revenge alone, was utterly blameless.

He was simply born exceptional, and his mother blamed him for that, saying, “I couldn’t abandon you.” How absurd and sorrowful that was.

As the Empress Dowager had mentioned, Liliana also had a father who didn’t even know her name.

Liliana neither wanted to forgive that father nor wished to reconcile with him. Helio might feel the same. If so, she didn’t want to stand by the Empress Dowager and help her.

As soon as Liliana returned to the Emerald Palace, she threw herself onto the bed and muttered.

“If I had to choose, I’d be on His Majesty’s side….”

Chuchu, nestled in her hand, tapped her palm, protesting.

“Lily! Are you sure you want to avoid that person? Get a grip!”

“This is different.”

“No! You’re just falling for his handsome face!”

Liliana had no rebuttal to that. She placed Chuchu on the nightstand and covered her ears with a pillow. Chuchu, seeing this, shouted at her.

“Lily!”

“I don’t care!”

* * *

While resting, Liliana had nothing to do but practice winding the wind around Chuchu’s iron ball. After struggling for a while, she noticed that Chuchu had fallen asleep.

Liliana felt an urge to pull the handkerchief Chuchu was lying on, but seeing the cute face, she decided to let it go.

Ignoring Chuchu, she focused again on wrapping the wind around the iron ball.

Knock, knock.

“Oh….”

Someone knocking on the door broke her concentration, causing the wind to dissipate. Liliana ran a hand through her hair and spoke with mild irritation.

“Come in.”

The person who entered her call was the head maid.

“Your Highness, I have a report.”

“Go on.”

“The Empress Dowager personally prepared a meal for His Majesty, but His Majesty has discarded it all.”

…What?

Words fail to emerge when something is too shocking, which is precisely how Liliana felt.

She understood why Helio resented the Empress Dowager and could see why efforts to mend their relationship might irritate him.

However, given his position, shouldn’t he consider his public image?

“Why throw away food? What a waste.”

Liliana fanned her face with her hand, feeling a surge of heat. Chuchu, who had woken up, rubbed her eyes and grumbled.

“Lily, you’re getting upset over that guy again. You really like him, don’t you?”

“No!”

“Excuse me?”

Liliana’s answer was meant for Chuchu, but the head maid responded. It must have been confusing for her to hear her mistress suddenly shout.

Shaking her head, Liliana dismissed the head maid.

“Chuchu, don’t speak when others are around.”

“Fine.”

Chuchu pouted, folding his arms as he plopped onto the nightstand.

Liliana refocused on wrapping the wind around the iron ball. Forming a thick wind barrier around the small iron sphere was incredibly challenging, causing sweat to bead on her forehead.

However, persistence often pays off. Liliana shut her eyes tightly, concentrating all her senses.

She felt the threads of wind wrapping around her fingers like tiny snakes. She imagined transferring those tiny snakes to the iron ball. One by one…

A soft, hissing sound emanated from the iron ball’s surface. Chuchu, sensing something, widened his eyes and moved closer.

“It’s working! Lily, it’s working!”

Chuchu’s excited shout broke her concentration, and the imagined tiny snakes scattered. Although she sighed in disappointment, Chuchu was still ecstatic, hugging her fingers tightly.

Liliana smiled at Chuchu’s cuteness and said,

“I think I understand now. I can do it next time.”

“You’re amazing, Lily! I knew you could do it!”

Holding two fingers to Chuchu, they clasped hands and danced around joyfully. Chuchu’s happiness was contagious, lifting Liliana’s spirits.

The issue of Helio discarding the Empress Dowager’s food faded into the background.

However, the next day, the head maid reported the same thing.

“Your Highness, His Majesty has discarded the Empress Dowager’s prepared meal again.”

“…I see.”

Frankly, it was an unsettling story she didn’t want to hear. But it was the head maid’s duty to relay palace gossip to her mistress, so she couldn’t ask her to stop.

And the day after that, the head maid repeated the same story.

“Your Highness, His Majesty has discarded the Empress Dowager’s prepared meal….”

“Again?”

“Yes.”

“Why does he keep doing that? If he wants to throw it away, he should do it secretly!”